4Q freight car orders soar 51.4%, RSI says

Railroad freight car orders increased 51.4% in the fourth quarter to 16,434, compared with 10,853 car orders for the same quarter last year, according to the Railway Supply Institute. Orders in the quarter fell relative to the third quarter, which totaled 20,165 orders.

Car deliveries for the fourth quarter totaled 16,693, up from 7,333 in the fourth quarter of 2010 and also up from 12,519 in the third quarter of 2011.

Car manufacturers had a backlog of 64,575 cars in the fourth quarter, substantially more than the 22,658 in the fourth quarter of 2011 and fractionally higher than the 65,044 cars on backlog in the third quarter of 2011.